
Lay Activities Trains the Church for Service
New converts need to be in school. Their teachers are to be the pastor,
the elders, and other members who have been trained.
"In every church the members should be so trained that they will devote
time to the winning of souls to Christ. How can it be said of the church, 'Ye
are the light of the world,' unless the members of the church are actually
imparting light? Let those who have charge of the flock of Christ awake to
their duty, and set many souls to
work."—Testimonies,
vol. 6, p. 436.
What is the curriculum for the training school in our churches? "Its
members should be taught:
1.
how to give Bible readings,
2.
how to conduct and teach Sabbath School classes,
3.
how best to help the poor and
4.
to care for the sick,
5.
how to work for the unconverted.
6.
There should be schools of health,
7.
cooking schools, and
8.
classes in various lines of Christian help work.
Adapted from
Christian Service,
p. 59.
"The best help that ministers can give the members of our churches is
not sermonizing, but planning work for
them."—Christian Service,
p. 69.
Those in roles of leadership are not required to do all the work them-
selves but are to train others to serve the Lord.
John and Charles Wesley gathered a group of lay preachers around
them. They met frequently for study, encouragement, and prayer. As a
result there was a great revival in England. Jesus gathered twelve men
around Him for insruction, prayer, and daily teaching. Those twelve went
out and rocked the then-known world.
Before us lies the greatest challenge in the history of the world, a world
that has gone beserk, is alienated from our Lord, and is intent on pleasure.
We are to call out a people that will renounce the things of this world, turn
their attention to the Lord, follow Him, serve Him, and prepare to meet Him
in the clouds of glory.
This necessitates training. "Every church should be a training school for
Christian
workers."—Christian Service,
p. 59.
Stewardship and Development Encourages Total
-
life Management
The Stewardship and Development section of the Church Ministries de-
partment encourages every-member participation in wholistic steward-
ship. "Wholistic stewardship" includes the total management of life under
God's direction. God created life in six literal days by speaking the world
into existence (Genesis 1:3-31; 2:1, 2; Psalm 33:6-9). God, as our Cre-
ator, Sustainer, Owner, and Redeemer, has a prior claim upon all we are
and have. (See Col. 1:16, 17; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.) God's prior claim is clearly
expressed in the original gift God gave to man of "dominion" or steward-
ship (Gen. 1:26). This assignment to manage all forms of life under God's
direction (Ps. 8:4-6) is a sacred and awesome responsibility (1 Cor. 4:1,
2). In recognition of our stewardship or managerial relationship to God we
return to God the gifts of life, time, talent, and treasure. We do so not as
mere duty, but rather as the response of love—Loving "him because he
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